07-12-07 Planning Comm. Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Meeting of June 14, 2007 Page 9 Subject: Dynamic Signs 5. The brightness standard of "adequate visibility" may be interpreted to mean a bare minimum when in fact a sign that is too dim may also be distracting because people strain to read it, Response: In an attempt to avoid this unintended interpretation, staff has added two words requested by the company: "No sign may be brighter than is necessary for clear and adequate visibility." The following summarizes Mr. Brown's comments and staffs responses: 1. Signs are expensive and it is unlikely that there will be many area with multiple dynamic signs. Response: As technology advances, these signs will become less and less expensive, just like home computers. This trend has already begun. As Daktronics said last year in its 10-Q filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, its revenues on the sales of its digital displays to outdoor advertising companies has increased in part because of the lower cost of displays. There is no reason to give off-premises signs a shorter duration time than on- premise signs. Logically the opposite is true because off-premises signs are usually larger. Response: As a general rule, the ordinance is not making any distinction between off- and on-premise signs. However, the ordinance provides a shorter duration as an incentive to eliminate billboards on nearly a 2 to 1 basis and to prohibit dynamic displays on an additional billboard. The city is getting significant public safety enhancements in return for these concessions from the off-premise sign owner. On-premise sign owners are in no position to offer the City the same benefits for that privilege. 3. On-premise signs are smaller and may need multiple frames to communicate most messages. Response: Studies show that drawn-out messages (such as sequential messages) are more distracting than unrelated messages, and the ordinance won't allow them. There is still a reasonable opportunity to provide a concise message. 4. The percent of the sign face and a minimum font size unrelated to distance will make the ability to communicate a message with one frame virtually negligible. Response: Photos in the staff report show examples of existing signs that meet the percent and font size requirements. The font sizes incorporated into the 9~